We're Having Less Sex with More People

Maybe only in England, though.

Nashtal, the National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles, released their latest in-depth study on sexual habits this week. It's essentially the Olympics of sex surveys, because they gather data for years. They ask questions on everything from partners to pregnancy, but here are some of the study's more interesting findings:

The average number of sexual partners per person rose considerably in the last decade for both genders: women now average 7.7 partners in their lifetimes compared to 3.7 in 2000, whereas men reported an average of 11.7 and 8.6, respectively. Despite this spike, the average number of times 16-44 year olds engage in sex every month is decidedly less, dropping from approximately 6 times to just under 5.

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The study doesn't offer an explanation for the changes (personally, I think binge-watching a show on Netflix has replaced that "missing" day of intercourse); it's just a compilation of the poll results. However, the data should be considered required reading, as there are some more serious statistics too. The study includes alarming statistics regarding the frequency of rape, with more than 10 percent of women reporting what the study refers to as "non-volitional sex."

Keep in mind that although the scope of the survey is huge, it's still limited to British residents, so these findings may not necessarily transcend physical and cultural borders. (See how results changed between this survey and the last, conducted in 2000, via Metro).